U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0011521 of Collins discloses an example of a deflector of water exiting a sweep tail hose of an automatic swimming pool cleaner. The deflector is “a relatively flexible structure in comparison with the sweep tail hose,” see Collins, p. 1, ¶ 0008, and includes a mounting collar and multiple “elongated and highly flexible fingers projecting in a downstream direction.” See id., p. 3, ¶ 0029 (numerals omitted). As noted in the Collins application:                During normal submerged operation as the pool cleaner and sweep tail hose travel over submerged pool floor and side wall surfaces, water jetted from the sweep tail hose flows substantially without restriction through the deflector. However, when the discharge end of the sweep tail hose breaks the surface of water within the swimming pool, the relatively flexible deflector falls by gravity over the otherwise open discharge end of the sweep tail hose to deflect water jetted therefrom. Accordingly, the deflector effectively knocks down and prevents water jetted from the sweep tail hose from spraying over any significant distance or area of a surrounding pool deck region.See id., p. 1, ¶ 0008.        
Described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,906 to Cooper is another deflector likewise designed to exploit principles of gravity. Detailed as being a “hole filled cover,” see Cooper, Abstract, 1.3, the flexible device of the Cooper patent moves, under force of gravity, to intercept a flowing water stream when a sweep tail hose exits a pool. Preferred devices are tubular bags of flexible woven metal material that supposedly allow water to pass through unaffected when the sweep tail is underwater. See id., col. 4, 11.31-45.
Water exits sweep tail hoses of at least some automatic swimming pool cleaners under significant pressure. Indeed, such pressure often may be sufficient to separate the flexible fingers of the deflector of the Collins application when the hoses break the surfaces of pool water. If this separation occurs, no deflection of flow will occur thereafter, and the stream of exiting water will continue unabated. Additionally, the tubular bags of the Cooper patent likely produce back pressure when the sweep tail hoses are underwater, reducing the effectiveness of the hoses and the associated cleaners. Accordingly, need exists for deflectors that function satisfactorily when sweep tail hoses are both underneath and above pool water surfaces.